1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to accessory devices for a bedside commode of the type including a frame structure which is adapted to support a toilet seat and removable waste receptacle and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a toilet paper roll holder for removable attachment to the frame structure of a bedside commode in a manner which conveniently maintains the roll of toilet paper within reach of the user of the bedside commode.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It is sometimes necessary or convenient to use a portable commode next to the bed of an infirm patient. For instance, elderly persons and patients recovering from an illness or surgery sometimes lack the physical strength needed to walk unassisted from their bed to a conventional bathroom facility in order to use the toilet. It also may be more convenient for a patient to use a bedside commode if they have medical equipment connected to their bodies, such as an IV tube or respiratory device, or if they are physically impaired due to a cast or other obstruction which makes it difficult to walk to the restroom. It is, therefore, not uncommon to find the use of bedside commodes in hospitals, nursing homes, and even private residences of elderly or recovering patients.
Despite their widespread and longstanding use, bedside commodes have not heretofore been known to include means to conveniently and effectively hold a roll of toilet paper in a manner similar to that found in a conventional bathroom. Any person who has had the unfortunate need to use a bedside commode, as well as any caregiver who has assisted an infirm patient, knows all too well that the toilet paper is almost always out of reach and, many times, out of sight when it is needed. Often, patients must suffer the indignity of having to call for someone to bring them a roll of toilet paper while seated on the portable commode.
Accordingly, in view of the aforementioned shortcomings in the healthcare field, and particularly relating to the use of bedside commodes, there remains an urgent need for an inexpensive toilet paper roll holder which is particularly adapted for convenient, quick attachment to all brands and styles of bedside commodes in order to operably support a roll of toilet paper within convenient reach of a person seated on the commode.